A HOT AIR BALLOON STUMBLED INTO SHV'S CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Date: 1994-07 · Aircraft: Balloon

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

A HOT AIR BALLOON STUMBLED INTO SHV'S CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative

AT APPROX EARLY XA05 AM; JUL/XX/94; I CALLED DRI FOR ANOTHER WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR THE LAUNCH SITE. I WAS TOLD 'NO FLT PRECAUTIONS' AND THAT WX AT SHREVEPORT WAS '2000 SCATTERED; 23000 SCATTERED; AND 10 MI VISIBILITY.' SURFACE WINDS AT SHREVEPORT WERE 160 AT 5; BARKSDALE 140 AT 5; AND WINDS ALOFT AT 3000 FT WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. AFTER TRACKING A PIBAL WHOSE COURSE WAS FROM APPROX 185 DEGS; WE CHOSE TO LAUNCH FROM A FISH CAMP (IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE) AT WALLACE LAKE; WITH LSU-S AS OUR LNDG SITE. I FOLLOWED OUR PRE-ESTABLISHED ROUTINE OF THE FIRST LAUNCHED CALLING THE NEAREST TWR WHOSE AIRSPACE WE MIGHT BE IN OR NEAR AND ADVISING THEM OF OUR FLT; NUMBER OF BALLOONS; AND PROPOSED LNDG SITE. SHREVEPORT- REGIONAL ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL AND STATED THEY WERE CURRENTLY IFR. ALTHOUGH WE HAD LAUNCHED IN AND WERE FLYING IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE UNDER VFR CONDITIONS; I DECIDED TO LAND AS SOON AS I SAFELY COULD. AS I FLEW OVER DENSE WOODS LOOKING FOR A LNDG SITE; CLOUDS BEGAN TO BLOW IN UNDER ME AND I CONTINUED TO CLB TO REMAIN LEGAL. I FLEW BTWN 1000-1500 FT AGL WHERE I WAS CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND HAD UNLIMITED VISIBILITY; AND WAITED FOR A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS THROUGH WHICH I COULD SAFELY DSND AND LAND. DURING THAT TIME; IN ADDITION TO TALKING WITH MY GND CREW AND THE OTHER BALLOONS; I MONITORED SHREVEPORT-REGIONAL AND BARKSDALE'S TWRS. I ALSO LISTENED AND LOOKED FOR OTHER ACFT. EVENTUALLY THE CLOUDS BROKE UP AND I DSNDED TO FIND THAT I'D BEEN BLOWN CONSIDERABLY OFF COURSE (BASED ON DRI'S RPTED WIND DIRECTION; SPD; OUR FLT PLAN AND THE LOCATIONS OF THE OTHER BALLOONS) FAR BEYOND OUR DEST; AND WAS E OF BARKSDALE. MY PAX; BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE BASE; RADIOED THEIR TWR IMMEDIATELY WITH OUR LOCATION; APPROX 2-5 MI E OF MIDFIELD. THEY STATED THEY HAD US IN SIGHT; OFFERED ASSISTANCE IF NEEDED; AND ASKED THAT WE CHK WITH RAPCON AFTER THE FLT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE LANDED SAFELY JUST NORTH OF I-20.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.